Extreme:
1. of a character or kind farthest removed from the ordinary or average:
extreme measures. | 2. | utmost or exceedingly great in degree: extreme joy. |
| 3. | farthest from the center or middle; outermost; endmost: the extreme limits of a town. |
| 4. | farthest, utmost, or very far in any direction: an object at the extreme point of vision. |
| 5. | exceeding the bounds of moderation: extreme fashions. |
| 6. | going to the utmost or very great lengths in action, habit, opinion, etc.: an extreme conservative. |
| 7. | last or final: extreme hopes. |
| 8. | Chiefly Sports. extremely dangerous or difficult: extreme skiing. |
–noun | 9. | the utmost or highest degree, or a very high degree: cautious to an extreme. |
| 10. | one of two things as remote or different from each other as possible: the extremes of joy and grief. |
| 11. | the furthest or utmost length; an excessive length, beyond the ordinary or average: extremes in dress. |
| 12. | an extreme act, measure, condition, etc.: the extreme of poverty. |
| 13. | Mathematics. | a. | the first or the last term, as of a proportion or series. |
| b. | a relative maximum or relative minimum value of a function in a given region. |
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| 14. | Logic. the subject or the predicate of the conclusion of a syllogism; either of two terms that are separated in the premises and brought together in the conclusion. |
| 15. | Archaic. the utmost point, or extremity, of something. |
So, first of in someways I am extreme but I also have my limits, not entirely sure where they're at but getting past arrogance I know they exist and I know I've hit my limits in some area's.
As for talking about extremes there are two things that I've recently done that I cant decide which of the two is more extreme. One I've already blogged about, going 145 on a motorcycle. For those of you who dont want to live this again, sorry, but be encouraged that it will be the second thing I talk about here. The other is skydiving, some people actually label this the pinnacle of extreme and I can see how, but as for feeling how, not quite sure.
Both of these adventures have their positives and their negatives. Both could very easily result in death and also show you how far you've come or grown.
Skydiving; was and still is the number one thing to do on my bucket list. The reason for it being there in the first place is because I even saw it as the pinnacle of extreme. The reason for it staying there is the experience was so surreal and dreamlike its really hard for me to grasp that I actually did it. And I have proof that I did it. I have pictures and a video(on the way). Its hard for me to believe though that I jumped out of a plane at 11,500 feet. Over 2 miles up. Sure, two miles doesn't seem far from the ground but when you're out of the plane and you see it flying away and your falling its pretty far. The speed you're going when you fall is about 120 mph. So after we've left the plane I'm in a surreal state just focusing on the other skydiver who's wearing the helmet with the video camera and camera. The video camera was on the left of the helmet and the camera was on top of the helmet controlled with a mouthpiece. The one thought I remember having while in the plane and while falling was this: "I forgot how much I hate camera's" and at the same time I'm glad I've got the pictures. Personal preference though is I hate the fact that some of my hair got caught in the goggles. While the rest of my hair is going up, a small, annoying section is hanging there. After falling 6000 feet, yes, we(the instructor and I) fell over one mile with no safety except a backpack on his back and him on my back, pulled the ripcord. Af 5500 feet the cord was pulled to start to deploy the parachute, at 3000 feet the parachute is fully deployed. Yes, there is a violent change in speed and direction, while my body was going up my shoes wanted to go down. I seriously thought I was about to loose them. After the parachute catches and my mind and body notice that the free fall is done I start to look around and realize the beauty of the chaos I had just experienced. While hanging around in the 2500 foot range off the ground with a canopy over me as my only safety I look out and around over E-town. I'm in the sky admiring the beauty that God has made and at the same time I'm wishing I could share it with someone, besides the instructor on my back, for the comedians out there. Which is why next year, I'm wanting to go for my birthday and would like to invite any of you who want to come, come and jump or come and watch. It is one of the coolest things I've ever done I will admit and would love to do again and hope I can. Disclaimer: the open invite maybe a bit premature.
Now for those of you who are not wanting to read about 145 on a motorcycle again, you may skip this section but I would encourage you to read it.
So, as aforementioned in the previous blog I went 145 on a motorcycle on new circle one night. I know its not the wisest of choices and I dont believe I've ever claimed myself to be the wisest. If I have I humble myself now before you and state this: "I value wisdom but I dont always listen to it". The reason I have a hard time deciding which one of these is more extreme has a lot to do with the speed difference, each though, if something went wrong as mentioned up top could lead to death. Obviously nothing went wrong with either one of these adventures since I'm here typing it up. "Everything happens for good of God for those who love Him" Very encouraging verse because even in my stupidity Jesus can use it for good which I'm slowly, painfully slow, learning. Going 145 is fun, I wont deny that and would love to and prolly will do it again, just in a safer manner(road course) but there was some wisdom passed on to me that makes a lot of sense and heard in one hear and out other until a good friend of mine mentioned it again and basically that is have your peripherals on and looking because you never know when something may blindside you. I can tell you from experience that bugs and rain hurt and sting around 70-80 mph. I've heard stories where guys have hit a bird or it hit them, depends on your perspective, but they've come very close to loosing control of the bike because of it.
These are 2 examples of physical extremes, pushing the mind and body.
Skydiving: Somehow, I have no clue how, but I completely disassociated my mind and body. If you look at the picture, my body is expressing terror. I wont say I was fine inside, there was fear, but not as much as what my body shows. People ask me all the time how I just stop thinking I dont really know how I do but I will mention this I had three similar thoughts around the 1000 foot mark on ascent. 1: What am I doing? 2: Why am I doing this? 3: Do I really want to do this? All these questions stem from fear. I'm not fearless. I have just as much fear as the next person but I dont want fear to rule me.
Motorcycle: There was a reason for the 145, not really for spiritual signifigance but to just run, run from a situation that I didn't want to deal with, still don't, but its getting easier. And, if I died during that experience or get injured I wouldn't have cared any, it was a carelessness of life. There wasn't much mentally there until the frustration in my head cleared out and I realized how fast I was going. After that I noticed a lil more. There are 2 reasons I slowed down. One consciously the other subconsciously. The concsious one being there's a turn coming, the subconscious one and I'm not entirely positive on this, but I very well could have been on one wheel for a short period of time.
Now, for the
spiritual extreme. I'm going through an adventure, one that frustrates me, hurts me, stretches me, grows me, weakens me to strengthen me and at the beginning of this journey I absolutely hated it and I still hate it to some regards but what I hate now is that I've lost a friend for an unknown amount of time. As you can tell this is more extreme than the other 2 combined. Mentally its draining, physically exhausting, spiritually fulfilling and heartfelt stretching. Read on to understand more. I want to believe that this isnt permanent but where I've had so many people walk out of my life and never come back, its hard for me to believe that this friend will come back. Now, Jesus has been giving me blessings and encouragements and insights. As of late, Revelations 21:5 as stuck out to me: "Look, I am making all things new". 1, I believe he will make our friendship new and at the same time I'm asking Jesus to help me overcome my disbeliefe; 2 I know he's making me new in this process because I'm willing and malleable to what he has for me. I'm not saying its easy but I am saying its worth it. Prior to this 180 turnaround I was on a path that was very fun and even more destructive to my soul. I'm watching Jesus not let me heal the way I used to by hardening my heart to those who've hurt me but learning to love people even when they've hurt me, just like Jesus did. I'm learning my patience isn't as patient as I once thought, once again I'm learning to see the beauty of the storm and to understand on a deeper level that I can just trust Him to pull me through. By the way, this just isn't for me. Its for you too. If it was just for me I wouldn't share it on cyberspace for all to read. I hope you have been able to get something out of it and I pray that these words aren't mine but from God
